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Province Now Carries A Bigger Stick To Collect Child And Spousal Support Payments

Posted on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 13:29 PM

The province now has more tools to ensure recipients of spousal and child support payments get their money.

Enforcement workers can now seize assets of those who owe more than $3,000 or haven't made payments in three months to be used against future payments.

Justice Minister and MLA for Lunenburg West, Mark Furey says government recognizes the seriousness of getting this money into the hands of those who need it.

"These are the circumstances that drive people into poverty. The ability to secure those payments through the maintenance enforcement program, literally, is the difference between poverty and living out of poverty."

Furey says government has set maintenance enforcement as a priority.

"We're changing a culture, we're changing a system that more directly benefits that single parent who is dependent on that income to meet the needs so that they don't become vulnerable in other areas."

Furey says five new positions were created to help with enforcement and these are the first phase of changes with more set to be announced in the new year.